A staff member assembles a robot at Shandong Yobotics Intelligent Robot Co., Ltd. in Jinan High-tech Industrial Development Zone in Jinan, east China's Shandong Province, July 11, 2026.

China's economy stayed broadly stable in August, continuing a shift toward new growth drivers. Industrial sector gathered pace in August, with value-added output of enterprises above designated size rising 5.2 percent year-on-year, as equipment manufacturing and high-tech industries delivered double-digit gains and new-energy products such as robots and 3D printing equipment maintained explosive growth. The new driving forces contributed more than 60 percent to industrial growth.

Manufacturing expanded 6.1 percent year-on-year, while equipment manufacturing surged 12.1 percent and high-tech manufacturing soared 16.7 percent, outpacing overall industrial growth, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Tuesday. 

New kinetic-energy products led the charge. Output of industrial robots jumped 34.6 percent year-on-year, while lithium-ion batteries up 57.2 percent and 3D printing equipment up 29.9 percent. New-energy vehicle production reached 1.647 million units, up 21.9 percent, NBS data showed.

Investment continued to flow into innovation-driven areas. In the first eight months, investment in intellectual property products rose 9.2 percent and high-tech industry investment grew 5.2 percent. Within that category, information services investment climbed 22.7 percent, aerospace equipment 14.9 percent, and electronic and communication equipment 6.9 percent.

On the energy front, crude oil production remained steady. The output in August reached 18.43 million tons, up 0.8 percent, while processing volume fell 6.9 percent to 59.07 million tons - meaning a daily processing volume of 190.6 million tons - a decline that narrowed sharply by 8.9 percentage points from July, NBS data showed.

Consumer spending showed a clearer split between services and goods. From January to August, combined retail sales of goods and services increased 2.5 percent, with service retail rising 4.9 percent. 

For services, communication information services, tourism consultation and leasing, as well as cultural and sports leisure have grown rapidly.

As for goods, the total retail sales of consumer goods reached 32.7569 trillion yuan ($4.88 trillion), up 1.1 percent. Online retail of goods and services grew 4.6 percent to 13.4766 trillion yuan. 

NBS spokesperson Fu Linghui noted on Monday that the economy overall remained stable in August and continued its shift toward new growth drivers and a more optimized structure. 

At the same time, he cautioned that external headwinds are intensifying, the domestic imbalance of strong supply and weak demand remains pronounced, some enterprises face operational difficulties, and the foundation for steady improvement still needs further consolidation.

Global Times